HFTP Announces the Facilitators for the Fourth Annual Forum

30 September 2003

Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals will be hosting its fourth annual Hospitality Technology Professionals Forum, designed to encourage participants to discuss important industry issues amongst each other. New to this year’s forum is a track on club technology, which will run concurrently with a discussion track on general hospitality technology. The Forum will be held Friday, Nov. 7 at The Penn Club in New York City.
The one-day forum is geared towards senior-level technology professionals in clubs, hotels, resorts and other hospitality-related businesses. For each session, an industry expert will introduce and provide a brief overview of the topic and will then facilitate an open discussion among attendees.

The agenda for the Club discussions includes:

Member Relationship Management, moderated by Mark Lipsitt, president of The Lipsitt Group which assists hospitality organizations and clubs with technology strategic planning and business process review, systems analysis, selection and implementation.

Technology Budgeting, moderated by William Boothe Jr., director of club/resort technology consulting for RSM McGladrey, Inc. He assists private clubs with the planning, evaluation, selection and implementation of computer technology in all facets of their operations. He is the author of the national newsletter Private Club Technology Update.

Wireless, moderated by Boothe and Jeff Hall from RSM McGladrey, Inc.

The agenda for the General Hospitality Technology discussions includes:

Wireless, moderated by William Oates, senior vice president and chief information officer for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc Oates is also a director on the HFTP International Board of Directors.

Customer Relationship Management, moderated by Lipsitt.

Guestroom Technologies, moderated by Brian Garavuso, CHTP, chief technology officer for Interstate Hotels and Resorts. Garavuso is also a director on the HFTP International Board of Directors.

Registration information is available on HFTP’s web site. The early registration deadline is Friday, October 24, 2003. For more information, contact Angie Greer, director of education at (512) 249-5333, (800) 646-4387 ext. 27 or e-mail [email protected] Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Please contact Lance Peterson at ext. 29 or via e-mail at [email protected] for more information.——-